Football helmet cover



Nov. 10, 1964 J McKlsslcK ETAL 3,155,981

FOQTBALL HELMET COVER Filed Feb. 5, 1965 INVENTORS John McKissick BY Olin J. McCurry United States Patent 'Ofiice 3,155,981 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 3,155,981 FOOTBALL HELMET COVER John McKissick, 201 Country Club Blvd., and Olin J. McCurry, 616 Laurel St., both of Summerville, S.C. Filed Feb. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 256,313 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-3) This invention relates to a cover for a football helmet whereby a color characteristic of a given football team may be imparted to any given helmet.

The device is especially useful in practice scrimmages to identify teams playing the role of an opposing football team. The helmets thus colored with the colors of the next opposing team readily identify the opposing team and the players. In the past jerseys have been used for this purpose, such jerseys being provided with the colors of the next opposing team. This has not resulted in the ready identification of the players. Many coaches feel that the psychological effects upon the players of opposing teams in practice bearing the colors of the next opposition is so important that helmets have been painted with such characteristic colors. Colored belts have been provided for this same purpose, but it is believed that the helmet more than anything else is capable of identifying teams and players. Other uses of the football helmet cover of the present invention include the identification of playground teams and the players. The football helmet cover also serves to protect the helmets which are used in practice. One of the major problems in providing a satisfactory football helmet cover included that of properly fastening the cover to the helmet so that it would not come off during play, and yet not unduly restrict the head of a user. To this end, elastic portions have been provided which extend over the front and rear portions of the helmet. It has been found that these elastic portions do not bind the head of the wearer even after prolonged use. In addition, the cover may be lined with spongy material having a high coefiicient of friction to avoid displacement of the cover, and at the same time avoid injury to players, especially in the form of cuts and scratches.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a football helmet cover capable of identifying a team and its players.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a football helmet cover capable of being easily placed upon the helmet and yet remain fixed thereon during play.

Another object of the invention is to provide a football helmet cover with means fastening cover for play or practice Without unduly restricting the head of the wearer.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a cover to protect a football helmet in play and at the same time avoid injury to players in the form of cuts.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the acocmpanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a football helmet and a cover constructed in accordance with the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view looking from the rear of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The drawing illustrates a cover for a football helmet having a substantially dome shaped portion and ear guards carried by the sides thereof. The cover includes an element A conforming to the dome shaped portion of the football helmet when placed thereover, being preferably constructed of a textile material having two-way stretch characteristics. The cover element is colored with the color characteristic of a given football team. Elastic portions B and C are carried by the cover element extending over and inwardly of the front and rear edges, respectively, of the dome shaped portion between the ear guard portions. Thus, the cover may be easily slipped over the football helmet and confined thereon during play. A given football helmet may be thus easily modified to readily identify a given foot-ball team.

A lining D, preferably of spongy material having a relatively high coeflicient of friction, is provided to avoid displacement and avoid injury to players from contact by the helmet. The cover element A includes a central panel 10 which extends from the front to the rear of the football helmet. Side panels 11 and 12 are joined to the central panel 10 by suitable stitching 11a and 12a, respectively, so as to cover the dome shaped portion 13 of the football helmet. Preferably, each of the panels 10, 11 and 12 are constructed of run resistant two-way stretch nylon. It appears that any stretch material would be suitable for such use. It should be pointed out that stretch material of a type and construction tending to present a minimum of friction such as nylon is preferred, since this minimizes the chances of the cover being pulled off of the helmet when in use. The cover is colored with a color characteristic of a given football team so as to easily identify the players on that team so that the material must be of a type capable of receiving color in some fashion.

Elastic portions B and C are carried by the cover element extending over and inwardly of the front and rear edges 13a and 13b, respectively, of the dome shaped portion 13 between the ear guard portions 14 and 15 which are bridged by the usual face guard 16. The portions B and C together with the support offered by the ear guards 14 and 15 tend to prevent the cover from becoming dislodged from the helmet upon receiving a blow in play from any direction. It will be noted that if the portions B and C were constructed of non-elastic material that these would have a binding effect about the forehead and back of the head of the user. Preferably, the elastic portions B and C include a relatively narrow elastic band 17 passed around the free edge of the cover to enhance the gripping characteristic of the cover upon the football helmet.

Preferably, the cover element A includes a lining D of spongy material having a relatively high coefiicient of friction such as laminated foam rubber, as illustrated. This foam backing keeps the cover from moving in any direc tion once it is placed on the helmet, avoiding the sliding down of the cover into the eyes of the user. Such backing gives greater protection to the helmet and avoids injury to a player when struck with a helmet.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a football helmet comprising, a substantially dome shaped portion adapted to cover the head of the wearer, ear guards carried by the sides thereof extending below the dome shaped portion, a removable cover comprising, an element stretched to conform contiguously to the dome shaped portion of the football helmet covering the dome shaped portion when placed thereover, said element being constructed of two-way stretch textile material, said element being colored with the color characteristic of a given football team, and elastic edge portions carried by said element extending over and inwardly of the front and rear edges of the dome shaped portion between the ear guard portions, said elastic edge portions extending across the ear guards, whereby the cover may be easily slipped over the football helmet and e) confined thereon during play, and whereby a given football helmet may be thus easily modified to readily identify a given football team.

2. A removable cover for a football helmet having a substantially dome shaped portion and ear guards carried by the sides thereof including, an element constructed of two-way stretch textile material conforming to the dome shaped portion of the football helmet when placed thereover, said element being colored with the color characteristic of a given football team, portions constructed of relatively smooth two-way stretch textile material carried by said element extending over and inwardly of the front and rear edges of the dome shaped portion between the ear guard portions, a backing constructed of spongy material having a relatively high coefiicient of friction covering the inside of the twoway stretch textile material, and an elastic strip carried adjacent and reinforcing the elastic capabilities of the marginal portion of the element, whereby the cover may be easily slipped over the football helmet and confined thereon during play, and whereby a given football helmet may be thus easily modified to readily identify a given football team.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,313 10/24 Arnet 2--l87 1,632,598 6/27 Hart 2187 1,859,313 5/32 Pel'ClCS 2 3 2,035,384 3/36 Hinchlifif 66170 2,296,335 9/42 Brady 2-3 2,381,524 8/45 Taylor 2-3 2,717,384 9/55 Frothingham 2-3 2,880,422 8/59 Blauer 2-187 2,911,652 11/59 Ekman 2187 2,926,356 3/60 Taylor 2 3 FOREIGN PATENTS 343,002 9/36 Italy.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FOOTBALL HELMET COMPRISING, A SUBSTANTIALLY DOME SHAPED PORTION ADAPTED TO COVER THE HEAD OF THE WEARER, EAR GUARDS CARRIED BY THE SIDES THEREOF EXTENDING BELOW THE DOME SHAPED PORTION, A REMOVABLE COVER COMPRISING, AN ELEMENT STRETCHED TO CONFORM CONTIGUOUSLY TO THE DOME SHAPED PORTION OF THE FOOTBALL HELMET COVERING THE DOME SHAPED PORTION WHEN PLACED THEREOVER, SAID ELEMENT BEING CONSTRUCTED OF TWO-WAY STRETCH TEXTILE MATERIAL, SAID ELEMENT BEING COLORED WITH THE COLOR CHARACTERISTIC OF A GIVEN FOOTBALL TEAM, AND ELASTIC EDGE PORTIONS CARRIED BY SAID ELEMENT EXTENDING OVER AND INWARDLY OF THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES OF THE DOME SHAPED PORTION BETWEEN THE EAR GUARD PORTIONS, SAID ELASTIC EDGE PORTIONS EXTENDING ACROSS THE EAR GUARDS, WHEREBY THE COVER MAY BE EASILY SLIPPED OVER THE FOOTBALL HELMET AND CONFINED THEREON DURING PLAY, AND WHEREBY A GIVEN FOOTBALL HELMET MAY BE THUS EASILY MODIFIED TO READILY IDENTIFY A GIVEN FOOTBALL TEAM. 